Ol;d Boats At Winkwell - Grand Union

[alan_fincher]

The area below Herts & Middlesex Boat Services at Winkwell GU is starting to acquire an increasing number of old boats.

 

AS well as a Big Woolwich that has been there a while, I was surprised to see that the ex Basingstoke Big Ricky "Jester" has been moved up there.

 

It was at Old Fishery.

 

 

but is now at Winkwell

 

 

Also present for some time has been the ex BCN iron boat "Leviathan", infamous for that very OTT modern interior, and a very large six figure price tag. I have to say that with old tarpaulins now over it externally, it's hard to believe the price it carried.....

 

 

But can anybody identify this wooden boat that I don't recognise.

 

It has a butty back end.

 

(Sorry all these boats are difficult to photograph with a basic camera from across the canal.....)

 

Edited October 8, 2010 by alan_fincher

[jake_crew]

Any info about the little green tug in the last picture ?

 

Is it a bantam ?

[GUMPY]

Jester is up for sale if you want a project

[Chris Pink]

Jester is up for sale if you want a project

 

What does 2 weeks of dry dock go for on the GU these days? - part of a biennial prospective budget to consider and, in my opinion, one of the gravest threats to the remaining wooden working boats.

Edited October 9, 2010 by Chris Pink

[GUMPY]

What does 2 weeks of dry dock go for on the GU these days? - part of a biennial prospective budget to consider and, in my opinion, one of the gravest threats to the remaining wooden working boats.

£408 plus vat or not in my case as Parglena is a qualifying ship.

[Laurence Hogg]

As for the wooden butty, is it full length? Some possible names, Chalfont, Kew, Aberystyth or Bangor, almost certainly a Walkers of Rickmansworth built boat but fore end may have been rebuilt possibly by Keays as it resembles some of his work.

[GUMPY]

As for the wooden butty, is it full length? Some possible names, Chalfont, Kew, Aberystyth or Bangor, almost certainly a Walkers of Rickmansworth built boat but fore end may have been rebuilt possibly by Keays as it resembles some of his work.

 

Just spoken to the owner

Butty is called Starcross he believes that may be the original name but has very little info on its history.

 

Tug is his used to move the butty built in Halifax area I believe.

[pete harrison]

Just spoken to the owner

Butty is called Starcross he believes that may be the original name but has very little info on its history.

 

Tug is his used to move the butty built in Halifax area I believe.

 

The Large Ricky butty currently named STARCROSS was so named on a whim in 1991, the owner at that time not knowing the original name but selecting STARCROSS from the publication "The George and the Mary" because they liked it ! I photographed it as 'STARCROSS' at Cropredy on 30 July 1991 as converted boat covered loosely by tarpaulings. This boat had been for sale through Braunston Marina and had been advertised in Waterways World magazine from January 1991 to April 1991, although un-named and incorrectly described ! I photographed it complete with a houseboat conversion on 09 February 1991 whilst it was layed up in Braunston Marina and although no name was visible I did recognise it as previously being tied at Napton Brickworks when Peter Nicholls was based there. Prior to being at Napton Brickworks it had been a houseboat at Tindall Bridge, near to the top of Farmers Bridge Locks in Birmingham. When it was in Birmingham it was named ADVENTURER, a name it was still licensed under in December 1985. I recall speaking with the owner when it was tied in Birmingham and he told me the original name - and it was not STARCROSS !

 

I last photographed this boat at Bathampton on 17 March 2002 and in 2003 'STARCROSS' underwent an extensive rebuild at Bates Boatyard, Puttenham.

[GUMPY]

I recall speaking with the owner when it was tied in Birmingham and he told me the original name - and it was not STARCROSS !

 

OK so it wasn't originally Starcross, the owner has very little information on the history. Can you remember what it was called and maybe fill in some more history for him?

Edited October 11, 2010 by idleness

[Athy]

Jester is up for sale if you want a project

...like building a third storey?